Congratulations to our pets that are featured this month! Stay tuned at the end of the month to find out how to enter your own pets to be featured on our Facebook cover and on our website!

January is Train Your Dog month and Walk Your Dog month. As we begin a new year, I
encourage all of you reading this to do at least some basic training. It does not matter where
you got the dog from or how old the dog is, all dogs should be trained. Training should consist
of, at the very minimum, some basic commands. By training your dog, it helps the bonding
experience and also can help your dog realize his rank within the family. A dog needs to
understand that he/she is not "top dog" in the house.
There are many behavior problems that can be prevented by some basic training. Many times a
dog may end up at an animal shelter or abandoned because of a bad or unwanted behavior.
Most of these behaviors possibly could have been prevented or corrected if some basic training
were in place.

There are some good resources for training in our area. The doctors at Eastview Animal
Hospital encourage each and every one of you to reach out to one of these trainers listed:
Shadowland Kennels in Oskaloosa, Easy Dingo in Fairfield, or Pawsibilities in Ottumwa. All
three trainers have experience and education to stand behind their services.
The other topic that I want to bring up is walking your dog. One of the best things that you can
do for your dog's wellbeing is to take them for a walk every day. This does not include letting
your dog out in your yard. The length of the walk does not have to be miles (even a block or
two will do). Dogs enjoy the interaction with their owner and benefit from the exercise. Walking
can help prevent some unwanted behaviors in certain dogs. It is a chance for owners to have
quality time with their dog and provide health benefits to the human and the dog. Many dogs
will see this daily walk as their "job", something that many dogs need.
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Both training and walking are part of the responsibility of owning a dog. The opinion of the
doctors at Eastview both are just as important as providing food, water and proper veterinary
care.
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Thanks for reading this month. Happy New Year!

​I've always had a hard time with goodbyes; when to say them and how to say them. So here it goes!

I came to Ottumwa in 1985 for a three month summer job; thirty six years later, I'm saying goodbye. I've enjoyed my practice life. I've lived my childhood dream and I thank you! I thank you for allowing me the privilege of being a part of your human-animal bond! With that said, my last day in the office is December 30, 2020.

Now I'm going home to begin a new chapter. Travel with my husband Steve; being a mom and grandma full time and of course enjoying my own animals!

Thanks again and I will always love you Ottumwa, Iowa.

Sincerely,

Dr. Beth Doggett

       I would like to address the benefits to humans that they get from pet ownership. When we own a pet, we can be so focused on caring for them. It can be nice to know how owning a pet can result in some important benefits. If you are reading this and do not have a pet, please consult with your doctor and one of us at Eastview Animal Hospital before getting a pet.
       There have been several studies done over the years that look at the benefits to people that comes from the bond between them and their pets. In the past, even just 20 years ago, there was not much time spent looking at this. But, overtime, as pets become more and more a part of our family, there is more emphasis placed on looking at advantages to both humans and animals. Research has shown that by owning or interacting with pets, there is a savings of more than 11 million dollars to the human healthcare industry. I got my information from the HABRI (Human Animal Bond Research Institute) website. I suggest if you want more information, visit there website, as it does have some really great information.
       First, I will bring light to the subject of human physical health. I think it is safe to say that people
who own dogs are active. Dogs need to be walked and played with. Along with being more
active, humans that own dogs weigh less than those who don't. Pet owners in general have
lower blood pressure than people who do not own pets. Overall humans that have pets to care
for have better heart health than those who do not. There is strong evidence that humans who
own pets visit the doctor's office less. It has also been shown that people with cancer and their
caregivers have a better quality of life during treatment if an animal is involved in their life.
       Animal assisted therapy provides much better outcomes to children with autism. Children who
grow up with pets have less allergies as adults overall. There are also animals trained to help
people with diseases such as diabetes or celiac disease. I have even heard of dogs being
trained to detect COVID-19.
       Second, I will write about the mental health benefits that pets can provide. In the age of
emotional support animals, we can certainly say that it is widely known that pets can provide
comfort to humans. When we look at details, there are several factors that have been identified.
Humans who suffer from PTSD and interact with an animal have less symptoms overall,
including crying less, having fewer suicidal thoughts, and being more interactive. Research
had shown that pets, even fish, help people feel more relaxed in general. Senior citizens with a
pet can feel more needed and often feel that when they have a pet to care for, they have more
sense of purpose. It is not uncommon today to see a cat living in a nursing home or a dog
visiting a school or hospital. This is because interaction with an animal can improve the quality
of life of individuals that are in those places.
       To wrap this up, owning a pet or even just interacting with animals provides great health
benefits, both physical and mental. If you are thinking of getting a pet, please consult with your
doctor and the staff at Eastview to make sure that you can get a pet that will be the best for you.
Thank you for reading!

Congratulations to our cat and dog winners for the month of October!
​Nothing compares to the love from an animal.

Congratulations to Mittens, Copper, and Pickles for being featured for our August Pet of the Month!

In effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) we will be instituting a strict protocol. Our goal is to keep our staff and clients safe and healthy while maintaining the health of their pets.

The following will be implemented:

Our lobby is closed to the public. We are going curbside.

So how does curbside work?

• Call us when you arrive at 641-682-0533. Please stay in your vehicle.
• A staff member will go out to your vehicle and collect the history on your sick/emergent patient. We will use one of our leashes to bring in your dogs and cats MUST be in carriers. 
• After the exam the doctor will call you to discuss the findings and possible further diagnostics. 
• We will be taking payment over the phone (no cash please, checks are ok).
• The staff member will then bring your pets out to you with the receipt and medications if warranted. 

Medications and Food

• If you need a refill of medications or food we will complete the transaction over the phone. Call us when you arrive to pick up and we will bring your items out to you.

Please bear with us during this time as it is a huge change to all of us. We are sorry for the inconvenience this has caused and appreciate you helping us flatten the curve. 

Congratulations to our April pet of the month winners! Meet Dewey, Sissy, and Buddy!